This document discusses the definition and nature of culture. It makes three key points: 1. Culture is a dynamic process that is constantly changing and shaped by political, social, and economic conditions. 2. People have multiple cultural identities based on factors like race, ethnicity, gender, class, religion, and experiences. 3. While general knowledge of other cultures is useful, true understanding of a culture comes from learning about individual members of that culture.

1. CULTURE
Lectures Series of
Sultan Muhammad Razzak

2. Objective:
To explore and clarify what culture is
Culture and Learning Goals

3. The word CULTURE from the
Latin cultura stemming from
colere, meaning "to cultivate"

4. 1. Culture is a dynamic, constantly changing
process that is shaped by political, social and
economic conditions.

5. 2. People share a myriad of different group
identities based on a complex interaction of
factors including racial identity, ethnicity,
language, gender, socio-economic status (class),
age, physical ability, religion, political ideology,
interests and experiences.

6. 3. Although general knowledge of the cultures
represented in our classrooms is useful, authentic
cultural knowledge is gained one student at a
time.
Eugene García

7. What Culture Is
 Dynamic, neither fixed nor static
 A continuous and cumulative process
 Learned and shared by a people
 Behavior and values exhibited by a people
 Symbolically represented through language
and interactions
That which guides people in their thinking, feeling
and acting

8. What Culture Is Not
 Mere artifacts of material used by a people
 A ‘laundry list’ of traits and facts
 Biological traits such as race
 The idealized and romantic heritage of a
people as seen with music, holidays, etc.
 Higher class status derived from a knowledge of
the arts, manners, literature, etc.
 Something to be bought, sold, or passed out

9. Culture Exists on 3 Levels
The Symbolic: Our values and beliefs
The Behavioral: What we do and how we
communicate
The Concrete: Artifacts, music, foods, and
artistic works

10. What is done?
What is good/best?
What is true?
Behavior
Values
Beliefs
World View
What is real?

11. CULTURE:
The values, traditions, worldview, and social and political
relationships that are created, shared, and transformed
by a group of people bound together by a common
history, geographic location, language, social class,
and/or religion.
(adapted from Sonia Nieto)

12. Thanks
Courtesy to different sources for
making this presentation.